SAN LEANDRO — Efforts by state and county legislators to delay a decision on San Leandro Hospital’s future could be too little, too late.

Eden Township Healthcare District directors on Monday will decide if the district-owned hospital at East 14th Street and 138th Avenue should be sold to the Alameda County Medical Center and converted into rehabilitation and urgent-care centers.

Two weeks ago, Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, D-Hayward, introduced legislation to give voters living within a hospital district a say on the transfer of a hospital’s emergency or urgent-care departments.

When asked whether there was enough time for the bill to make it through the Legislature and to the governor’s desk — given the complicated and time-consuming multibillion-dollar state fiscal deficit that state lawmakers must resolve — Hayashi spokesman Cory Jasperson said he thought there was, because the bill could be brought forward as an urgency ordinance.

One problem with this scenario: Urgency ordinances must be passed by two-thirds of the state Assembly and Senate. Even though Democrats hold a majority in both legislative bodies, it’s unlikely the Republicans would provide the required votes.

When questioned by a reporter, Wilson said Lai-Bitker — whose district includes San Leandro — wanted to bring the issue to supervisors, possibly to rescind the county’s negotiated takeover of the hospital.

One problem with that: Supervisors in May authorized the negotiations, when doctors, nurses, hospital employees and the community already were protesting the proposed closure of the hospital’s emergency room, medical and surgical services.

Lots of support

The medical community, locally and statewide, has been generous in its financial support of Hayashi and state Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, who have been upfront in their efforts to keep San Leandro Hospital open.

In 2005 and 2006, local doctors affiliated with San Leandro Hospital and Eden Medical Center of Castro Valley contributed $43,169 to Corbett’s election campaign, according to documents filed with California’s secretary of state. Corbett, up for re-election next year, also received nearly $30,000 in contributions from medical political action committees to her overall campaign war chest of just over $500,000.

“I’ve always been supportive of the health care community,” Corbett said Thursday. “I’ve always tried to do the best that I can for the whole community.”

Hayashi’s 2008 finance report, also listing just over $500,000 in contributions, included $93,593 from medical organization committees.

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